〜らしい — Japanese Grammar
〜らしい: JLPT N4 grammar pattern. Usage, structure, examples, and comparison with similar patterns.
〜らしい
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Pattern | 〜らしい |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
| Type | hearsay / conjecture |
| Formality | Neutral |
| Register | Both (Spoken and Written) |
Meaning
The suffix 〜らしい is used to express hearsay—information that you have heard from someone else or read in a report. It conveys that the speaker is relaying information without taking personal responsibility for its absolute truth.
Structure Formula
[Verb (plain form)] + らしい
[い-adjective (plain form)] + らしい
[な-adjective (stem)] + らしい
[Noun] + らしい
- Verbs: Use the plain form (dictionary form, past tense, or negative).
- Adjectives: Use the plain form.
- Nouns: Attach directly to the noun (e.g., 雨らしい ame rashii).
Detailed Explanation
〜らしい acts as a "hearsay" marker. When you use this pattern, you are signaling to the listener: "I heard that..." or "According to what I've heard..." It is a very common way to report news, rumors, or information gathered from third-party sources.
Because it is based on hearsay, the speaker is not claiming to be an eyewitness. It is slightly more objective than 〜そうだ (which often implies a visual impression or a specific source) and is used frequently in casual conversation to share gossip or news.
In terms of register, it is quite versatile. It can be used in casual settings with friends ("Did you hear? Tanaka-san is quitting!") or in more formal reports ("It is reported that the economy is recovering").
Note: Do not confuse this with the other 〜らしい (meaning "to seem like" or "to have the characteristics of"), which attaches to nouns to mean "typical of." Context usually makes the distinction clear.
Example Sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| 明日(あした)は雨(あめ)らしい。 | あしたはあめらしい。 | Ashita wa ame rashii. | I heard it will rain tomorrow. |
| 田中(たなか)さんは結婚(けっこん)するらしい。 | たなかさんはけっこんするらしい。 | Tanaka-san wa kekkon suru rashii. | I heard Tanaka-san is getting married. |
| 彼(かれ)は昨日(きのう)帰(かえ)ったらしい。 | かれはきのうかえったらしい。 | Kare wa kinou kaetta rashii. | I heard he went home yesterday. |
| 試験(しけん)は難(むずか)しかったらしい。 | しけんはむずかしかったらしい。 | Shiken wa muzukashikatta rashii. | I heard the exam was difficult. |
| この店(みせ)は安(やす)くて美味(おい)しいらしい。 | このみせはやすくておいしいらしい。 | Kono mise wa yasukute oishii rashii. | I heard this shop is cheap and delicious. |
| ニュースによると、景気(けいき)が良(よ)くなるらしい。 | ニュースによると、けいきがよくなるらしい。 | Nyuusu ni yoru to, keiki ga yoku naru rashii. | According to the news, the economy is going to improve. |
| 彼女(かのじょ)は来月(らいげつ)引(ひ)っ越(こ)すらしいよ。 | かのじょはらいげつひっこすらしいよ。 | Kanojo wa raigetsu hikkosu rashii yo. | I heard she is moving next month. |
| あの映画(えいが)はとても感動(かんどう)するらしい。 | あのえいがはとてもかんどうするらしい。 | Ano eiga wa totemo kandou suru rashii. | I heard that movie is very moving. |
Comparison with Similar Patterns
〜らしい vs 〜そうだ (Hearsay)
- 〜らしい: Based on general hearsay or information gathered from various sources.
- 〜そうだ: Based on a specific source (e.g., "I heard from Tanaka-san that...").
| Pattern | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜らしい | General hearsay/rumor | 雨が降るらしい (I heard it will rain.) |
| 〜そうだ | Specific source | 雨が降るそうだ (I heard [from someone] it will rain.) |
〜らしい vs 〜みたい
- 〜みたい: Based on your own observation or inference (it looks like...).
- 〜らしい: Based on what you heard from others.
Common Mistakes
❌ 雨が降るらしいだ。 → ✓ 雨が降るらしい。 Explanation: 〜らしい acts as an auxiliary adjective/predicate. You do not need to add だ or です directly after it in plain speech.
❌ 田中さんは親切らしい。 (Used when you personally think he is kind) → ✓ 田中さんは親切みたい。 Explanation: If you are judging based on your own experience, use みたい or そう. らしい implies you heard about his kindness from someone else.
❌ 田中さんらしい。 (Used when you heard Tanaka-san is a person) → ✓ 田中さんだらしい。 (Incorrect grammar) Explanation: When using nouns, 〜らしい often means "typical of." Be careful not to confuse "I heard it is Tanaka-san" (田中さんだそうだ) with "He is acting like Tanaka-san" (田中さんらしい).
Practice Exercises
Fill in the blank:
- 明日、学校が休み（ ）。 (I heard school is closed tomorrow.)
- 新しい先生はとても厳しい（ ）。 (I heard the new teacher is very strict.)
- 昨日、彼が会社を辞めた（ ）。 (I heard he quit the company yesterday.)
- この辺りは昔、海だった（ ）。 (I heard this area used to be the sea.)
- 今度の旅行は中止（ ）。 (I heard the upcoming trip is cancelled.)
Answer Key:
- らしい (General hearsay)
- らしい (General hearsay)
- らしい (Past tense hearsay)
- らしい (Past state hearsay)
- らしい (Noun/Na-adj usage)
JLPT Level Notes
In the JLPT N4, 〜らしい is frequently tested in reading comprehension and sentence ordering tasks. Pay attention to the context: if the sentence mentions a source (like "news" or "a friend"), 〜らしい is almost certainly the correct choice. Watch out for the "typical of" meaning of 〜らしい in reading passages, as the test may try to trick you by mixing the two definitions.